Kutsu's Change of Heart (Chapter 3 of 3!)
by PartyRiolu
Summary: A young but intelligent Zorua happens to observe the things around him, though he struggles to judge what he sees. Is the world filled with darkness- a repetitive cycle of busy lives without purpose, or is there something else out there besides those blinding city lights? / Short 3-Chapter story showcasing the youth of my OC, Kutsu. Rated T for some foul language. Completed! /
1. 1: Contemplation

When I was still a young pup, I had always described the city I lived in with just a few simple words.

Darkness.

Souls who were caught by the routine that is also referred to as everyday life- they feel nothing. So many beings I come across who pay little or no attention to those around them; the ones who focus on getting the job done- and nothing short of it. Nobody laughs, nobody smiles, nobody loves. It makes me sick… and how we could have fallen into this cycle of colorless living is beyond even my understanding.

Hatred.

We have a tendency to either ignore or bite down onto what we cannot accept, and maybe that is because we don't truly understand each other yet. It isn't simply emotions like anger or fear that cause us to be so despicable, but instead, it's how we use those emotions among ourselves and others. But instead of using these emotions to enjoy life, It just so happens that we are yet again consumed by our immaturity. So we release our irritation without thinking twice, and nobody thinks about what simple irritation could grow into. Hate, Jealousy, rage.

Selfishness.

Time and time again, we ignore the events in our history and continue to repeat the same damn mistakes that placed us in darkness to begin with. We replace courtesy and good deeds with greed and sick humor. We take, take, take- but I never see any giving. I see people lying, cheating, killing, and only to gain. But what do they gain in the form of their mentality? Nothing. I myself even admit to being selfish at times, and I get rotten feelings about that now and then. It just seems to be a natural trait among us.

Then, there was a completely different word I began to use; a surprising word that cannot be expected to compare in any way with the others; all because of something that changed within my heart.

Hope. To love again.

Not too long ago, I came across a Scraggy by the name of Zippy. It was a rainy day, quite gloomy and I just happened to be sitting on a bench outside a coffee shop. It seemed like out of nowhere, this pokemon came up to me and just...stirred up a conversation. Sure, I wasn't thinking much about it at the time, but the reality of the situation was that I had actually begun genuinely conversing with someone for the first time in ages. I had forgotten the joys of communication.

Though as I started to stare into those understanding eyes of his, the idea finally smacked into me. At the shock of the realization, I didn't know what to think. In a world like this, I was taught to always be careful; to never look back if just in case it happened to be our biggest fear who came from the darkness to strike us down and rob us of our well being. But this oddball wasn't scary, and he was anything but disrespectful. We talked the entire evening and eventually came to understand one another. As soon as "Friend" slipped from my lips, it became much more than just a word. We became friends.

That was only the first day. Before we said our goodbyes, Zippy offered to meet up in the same spot tomorrow, to talk a bit more with me. And why did I say yes? Well, this peculiar pokemon had many things to speak of, so many interests and stories. The way he spoke, the manners he had presented- it was clear to me that he meant everything. He wanted to be here, he wanted to talk to me. All of his emotions varied, and they sure as hell weren't fake. Topics that my tongue never dreamed of collaborating with; it took almost no effort at all to hook me on.

So that was that. The next day, he offered to show me something special. Something that was going to eventually change me as a being. So, of course- I agreed to follow wherever he would take me. Why wouldn't I? He so easily revived the version of myself that I didn't even know existed any longer; I trusted him. I remembered that trusting another pokemon wasn't a weakness or a weight on my shoulders, but instead, it was a door that I could choose whether I would open or close.

It's hard to think even up to this day that I began to believe in myself as a pokemon again from a simple stranger, and that I could believe in another just as easily if all I did was be patient. Zippy once told me; "If you're unwilling to open up to others, how can you expect them to open up to you?"

So this dark, dreary place? It was no longer the main burden on my mind. Maybe it took a while for me to grow out of my own problems, but…

I like to think that moment in time is where my life truly had begun.~


	2. 2: Revelation

Sure, the city wasn't the prettiest of places. The sidewalk was always rough, dirty and cracked; seemingly bitten by the consequence of old age. The air always smelled like the fumes and waste that humankind decided to constantly poison the environment with, which kept the sky a dull grey. It rained so often, and sometimes, it stung my fur- Acid rain, I think it was called. People wandered the streets like bees to a hive, with only the thought of what purpose had been given to them. Here, life was something strange.

Zippy said that people here had grown accustomed to their given purpose, that it quickly became a common instinct which drove them onward without hesitation. So how did it even become like this? Well, he couldn't answer that one.

Speaking of that scraggy, he did indeed introduce me to something special. Even now though, I find it rather difficult to describe with words. It started on the morning he led me to the abandoned metro terminal underground.

There was something creepy about this area, though I expected as much. Spiders made their homes among the cobwebs that draped from the cracks in the ceiling, as well as from the holes in the supporting pillars which seemed to barely have any strength to stand. Dust coated the concrete floor, kicked up lightly with each of our footsteps. From the conditions of the entire terminal, it looked like nobody had been here for decades. This was a place I certainly didn't want to be in, and it didn't take long for me to ask Zippy where we were going.

He didn't turn around or pause, but instead, I'd hear him chuckle to himself. "Hard to say. If I did tell you, chances are that ya wouldn't understand me!" Is what I remember him saying. The scraggy always one for weird responses, some that I found lighthearted and enjoyable- this one, though, only made me tilt my head to the side What exactly did he mean by that? Was he saying he had no clue whatsoever where we were headed to?

My confusion was short-lived, as Zippy suddenly raised his arm in front of me. "We're here."

We stood there in silence for a few moments before the scraggy turned to me and stuck his thumb up- he was wearing that stupid, yet charming grin I had come to expect from him. "Well? What are you thinking, Kutsu?" he'd ask.

In front of us was a train car- no, a short string of individual train cars, all attached together on the same rusty tracks. The copper lining of the windows was dull, and beginning to rust away; and those loose glass panes were all covered in a thick layer of dust, making it impossible to view inside. At that very moment, I didn't know exactly what to think- So it was an old locomotive that had seen better days, so what? Sure, the sight of it was somewhat interesting, but that still hadn't answered my question; What the hell was I doing down here?

"Zippy." I murmured, turning to face him. "What's this about? Please, tell me..."

The scraggy wiggled his finger in front of my eyes and shook his head, once again straying from the question. Hoping to push away my unsettling nerves, I remember continuously telling myself that this was just another experience, that it was important however small or strange it may have been.

Zippy hopped down, and I came down after him, looking around with caution. A loud, drawn-out, metallic groan quickly snapped my attention back to my friend, only to see that he had dragged open the compartment door to enter the back of the train car. Seeing that I was rather hesitant, Zippy hopped up first, before holding his hand out to me. "Welcome aboard, my friend!" He chimed.

We traveled through the line of train cars, staying silent the entire time. There wasn't much for me to say, as it was clear that none of my questions from earlier had been answered and if asked again now, the result would probably remain the same. Looking around though, the inside of the locomotive compartments were surprisingly clean and well-kept. Whether looking left or right, there were red leather seats that were joined together by wooden tables, which stuck out from the wall while being supported by a single steel pole below. Looking upward, decorative lights hung a few feet above each table by a stiff chain that appeared to be bolted up into the ceiling.

Then, we came to a door. It was large and had a single glass window that was all too dust-covered like the rest. While I expected Zippy to open it, the scraggy turned around instead and hopped up into one of the leather seats with a grunt. "Well, there's a friend of mine in there I'd like you to talk to. Er..." he paused, scratching his head. "Actually, He's kinda my brother. He wants to meet you!"

When I asked him if he was coming inside, he made a face and began to explain himself a little. Apparently, the deal was that he and his brother didn't get along too well. It's like when finding diversity, you'll find all kinds of opinions and certain viewpoints- with those, much conflict and disagreement. They weren't the kind of brothers who saw eye to eye but instead fought over what they believed in.

I ended up going inside on my own, unable to pull the scraggy along in with me. It was dark for a few moments. I had only taken a few small steps when suddenly on both walls of the train car, 2 electrical lanterns crackled to life, bringing both a gentle warmth and a dull glow to slightly brighten up the room. A Scrafty sat on an old wooden crate in front of me, gazing down at the floor. His baggy pant-like skin looked dirty and even torn at its edges, and his body was covered in dirt- it was impossible to tell how long this pokemon had been down here, but it was safe to assume that he certainly didn't see the light of day too often, if at all.

His name was Sulker.

Before I could say anything, his head slowly rose, and at first, he had shot a glare that froze me in place. Though his expression quickly turned to one of surprise and shamefully rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry." He'd mumble, before slowly lowering his gaze back to the dusty floor below him. "Thought you were that little squirt coming in here. Can't stand 'im."

We ended up talking quite a bit, sparking up an interesting conversation. I introduced myself, he did the same. My suspicions were quickly confirmed; he was certainly a lot different than zippy. First off, he was quite direct; to the point. It wasn't hard to admire that, because I often became frustrated with Zippy's misleading riddle-like way of speaking. Sure, the scraggy was charming, but sometimes it was nice to talk to someone older and more mature than myself. Though with the positive, came the negative- and boy, he needed some happy pills. Before now, I couldn't recall meeting someone more brutally honest about anything than Sulker. Sometimes, the things he said... well, it was just downright depressing. The difference with Zippy was that he practically had rainbows blasting out from his rear end; his unique, positive personality was amusing, even if it often was presented in the form of childish jokes.

At one point, Sulker began to surprise me. "Ever been outside?" he'd ask, which caused me to tilt my head. Well, I said yes and all, but he shook his head and chuckled. "Out of the city, I mean."

My eyes widened, and I shook my head. It was true. I had never run through a lush forest, never felt the wind rushing through my fur. I had never seen a real, towering mountain, with its snowy peak piercing through the skies. No, not even once had I sat on a beach to view the bright colors brought on by a sunset, which was beautifully reflected across the vast ocean. While I had studied up on all the wonders of the natural, untouched world, it always seemed like my life belonged in the city. The thought of going anywhere else was rare, almost never on my mind. Maybe I was scared of change; of a fresh experience. The Scrafty stared at me for a moment and smiled. "You're afraid."

"Am I?" I'd mumble as a response, before meeting the Scrafty's eyes with my own. "No, I don't think its that..." But even saying so, I couldn't exactly come up with any other reason that my interest in the rest of the world had yet to exist.

"Well, whatever the reason is... it probably doesn't make sense," Sulker said, crossing his arms. "So, I'm going to make you an offer; one you really shouldn't pass up."

Taking a breath, the Scrafty would close his eyes and scratch the back of his head. It seemed like in depths of his mind, he was contemplating something important, evident from the sigh that followed once he opened those eyes of his. I felt uneasy with the way those dark eyes were fixed on me, but I held my tongue and waited. Only seconds later, he asked something that took my breath away.

My ears twitched, eyes widening in disbelief.

"Kutsu, would you like to venture outside of the city with us?"


	3. 3: Realization

There was a slight stutter of the engine, followed by the crackle of electricity within the wires above, and suddenly I would find that we were moving. It was a little startling, I'd have to admit. Before then, I couldn't recall a time where I rode on any sort of vehicle, so this was a completely new experience for me.

Once the train picked up speed, my paws would wobble and skid against the red, old, dusty carpet floor- It was only then that a short, orange arm thrust forward and kept me from falling flat on my face. "Hey, you'll get used to it." Sulker murmured, crouching down next to me to keep me steady. My face lit up with relief, and I quietly nodded to the Scrafty. There was a moment of silence, and it gave me time to wonder about the situation I was in. It wasn't really a BAD thing, riding out of the city... but then again, the city was all I had ever known- and once my mother went and disappeared that one night, everything became so much harder to bear. Even though I was too young to realize it then, I had made a life there and it felt strange to leave it for the first time. I guess it was just me asking myself whether or not I was okay with doing this. I HAD agreed to it out loud, of course.

"Hey. Kutsu. I've got a question or two for ya." Sulker's voice broke up the silence, and I could feel his arms drawing up and away from my fur. When I turned to face him, the Scrafty had jumped up onto one of the cushioned seats within the train, with his back flat up against the window. "Well, okay. What's the question...?" I tilted my head, wondering what he had in store for me. "Well..." He began, clearing his throat; "You're still kind of a mystery. Tell me something interesting about yourself."

"Uhh...Something interesting, huh?" My gaze dropped to the floor, as I wondered what to say. There really wasn't too much about myself that I found all that interesting to share with others, aside from the fact that I often painted my face with berries. "Well, I uh...live by myself. What about that?" I said. The fellow dark type pokemon blinked and stretched his arm out forth to rub the back of his head. "Depressing." He replied, "Very admirable, but kind of depressing. Not really the kind of info I was looking for. What else, then?"

It took me about an entire minute to figure out something cool about myself, but it eventually came forth. "Oh! I can read since my mum taught me! A lot of canine pokemon at my age can't read!" I jumped up, and let my poofy tail stick up in delight while being happy to continue. "And, and... I don't really like meat all that much, I actually enjoy all kinds of berries instead!"

"Huh." Sulker tapped his fingers against the old built-in table, nodding slowly with what I had said. Eventually, he'd close his eyes and chuckle, "So the tiny fox is both a little Einstein and a pre-vegetarian. That's actually somewhat adorable!" The comment had made my cheeks flush red, and I giggled along with him. "Nuh, I'm not adorable! That's a girl thing!" I'd squeak. How did he think of ME as being adorable?

Another awkward silence filled the room, leaving my tail to slowly lower to the ground. All that could be heard now was the gentle rustling of the train as it continued to steam forward across the rusty, steel tracks below. Once again, Sulker was the one to break the unbearable silence. He leaned forward, coughing; "I guess if that's all there is to say, maybe it's my turn. If there's anything you're wondering about me, now's the time to ask."

As I sat back to think, I found that there was a lot to questions for the Scrafty to answer. Not necessarily about him or his history, but more of why he took such an immediate interest in bringing me along with him. These were one of his routine trips outside the city, and he transported pokemon back and forth, but today, it didn't seem like there was anyone else but me, Sulker, and Zippy. There were definitely suspicions boiling in my head, but that wasn't to say I didn't trust him or Zippy.

The worlds came out of my maw before I had a chance to think any further. "Why me?" And suddenly, another eerie silence. He just stared at me- didn't say a thing."It's cool and all, really...! I'm...enjoying myself! But I..uh.." My voice slowly became inaudible, driven to a halt by my growing hesitation. What was he thinking, that Scrafty...?

Sulker held his expression for a while but seemed to have trouble finding his response. Finally, he sighed and shrugged. "I don't know. There's something about you, ya know? Something that needs fixing. You can probably assume that my knucklehead of a brother blabbed on about you for the longest time, right up to this very moment..." The Scrafty's voice trailed off, and he stopped for a moment, that gaze slowly shifting down to his knees before he decided to continue on. My ears twitched, and I would simply continue to listen. "He kept talkin' about you like you needed 'saving'. He was always sort of strange, and it took me a while to figure out what he meant. He wants you to get out of the city for a while, you know? Experience a fresh environment- stuff like that. But don't get confused about my motives; I do this for all sorts of pokemon every day. You're not all that different from them."

"Alright...I uh...I think I understand." I uttered, wondering if I had said a little too much before. Hopefully, I hadn't offended him...? He'd chuckle, looking off to the side at my short, meaningless reply. "Look, Kutsu... Whether or not you get me or zippy right now isn't really what's important," He said. "Just relax a little. Have a good time; 'cuz we're letting you have a free ride outside of that stinky, rotting pile of structures back there." I simply nodded and met his gaze- trying not to be rude and all. Surely he wasn't ignoring the fact that he wasn't charging me for the ride, but maybe zippy had paid for both of us to get on beforehand. It definitely was a thought, but as sulker said, did the 'how' or 'why' of the situation really matter at this point?

Before he had a chance to say something else, zippy opened the barely-visible compartment door, coming from the next car over. It was actually an open car if I remembered correctly. Anyway, the bouncy scraggy leaped forward and shot his arm up behind him. "You guys, we're finally approaching! I can see light!"

Sulker and I shared another quiet stare for a few moments, before beginning to slide down off from the comfy seats and back onto the messy carpet floor. "Alright, then." Sulker cleared his throat, before stepping aside and holding the door open for me. "Kutsu, c'mere. You won't want to miss this opportunity!" His smile seemed to shrivel up, once his eyes wandered open to zippy- who had climbed onto one of the seats and began scooting up to the window. "...And for the love of god, if I find ANY more prints on the glass, YOU'RE going to be wiping it clean! Got that?!" He glared at his little brother, who only rolled his eyes and turned back to the window. It was kind of funny, actually; this little relationship of theirs. Hell, I even found myself with a small grin, though I quickly hid it once I turned to sulker and followed him out the back.

"So what was he talking about? I don't see any light." I questioned the Scrafty, who simply leaned over the rim of the car and smirked. "Just wait for it. We're almost outside." He replied, resting his arms onto the glass rim and letting out a cough. I joined him by the edge, lifting my forepaws up onto the glass and glancing down at the tracks. It was a bit unsettling; it was so loud in the tunnel, MUCH louder than it was during our talk back in the train car. The low screech of the engine echoing through the cave, combined with the shaky, unstable ground we stood on, it made me think that everything was ready to fall apart or spontaneously combust, or whatever.

"Oooh yeah...here it is!" My ears twitched as they picked up the Scrafty's voice, and I looked around in confusion, desperate to see what he saw. What did he mean-?!

And then, out of nowhere, my entire world changed around me. The black, dull color of the tunnel ceiling just disappeared altogether, leaving a blue sky unlike any other I had ever seen. It was so clear; even with the clouds racing across it. They were a clear white, instead of the dirty damp gray my eyes had been so accustomed to viewing every day. It was like opening my eyes for the first time all over again; a breath of fresh air I was dying to engulf, yet it was a scene that I never knew even existed!

"Heh, you should see yourself right now! Your jaw looks like it just done fucked up!" The Scrafty laughed, jabbing my side playfully with his arm. A smirk formed on my face. "Oh, and who's fault is that, huh?~" I said, and with a huff, I gave him a tease of a shove right back, causing us both to share a glance from each other. These surprises just kept coming. Sulker suddenly pointed forward, and I couldn't believe my eyes. REAL grass! Fields, with trees way in the back! I counted all sorts of pokemon that I couldn't remember seeing back in the city, besides on pictures in those dusty old textbooks I'd borrow at the library.

These were sights I hadn't seen for myself before. And if I had, I was too young to ever remember what it was like. Even then, there was no doubt about it. With no sense of familiarity as my eyes were glued upon the land in front of me, I knew that this had to have been my first and only time on the outside. And boy, it was seriously worth it. Looking back, I couldn't even see the tall buildings or any hint of the gloomy sky where I had started. How far had we come for things to change so drastically?

A few minutes had gone by, though it seemed like forever that words weren't exchanged between the two of us, me and Sulker. After all, there wasn't much to say. Feeling the warmth of the sun on my fur, and hearing these unfamiliar sounds, words would have just gotten in the way. Although it seemed it would stay like this forever, the Scrafty finally turned towards me and put his hand on my shoulder. "Hey, Kutsu."

My ears jolted upward, and I quickly turned to sulker. He had that same old relaxed, lazy look in his eyes that I had quickly grown used to, but even then, I still found myself wondering what else the Scrafty had for me to hear. "I'm all ears! Uh..whats up?" I blinked, slowly glancing from the hand on my shoulder, back up to his patient expression. "Well..." He began, "What's the plan? What are you gonna do once we hit our stop? Zippy is getting off to go meet a few friends at the local town near here. But you? You haven't really seemed to talk much about it. You gonna go with him?"

Well, I thought about it for a second, before nodding. "Yup! I'm hoping he could show me around. But, I'm more of a loner anyway! After a day or so, I'm gonna go off and explore!" I snickered, letting my tail shake around from side to side. The Scrafty smiled and shifted his gaze back to that amazing view that lay ahead of us. "That's good to know. Be careful though..." he murmured, looking downward. "A group of pokemon, more like an organization, is making a whole lot of trouble for the people here recently. Polaris, or whatever. Don't concern yourself much with it, okay?"

I simply nodded, shrugging off the info and pushing it to the back of my mind. I had no idea how crucial that warning really was; how much it would become a part of my struggles. But I was a naive little Zorua, so what else was there to do? Shake in fear from something that sounded more like some half-baked rumor instead of a threat?

"Alright, Kutsu. I'm gonna go back inside. I'll escort you off when we get to town." He backed up, and I watched as he walked up to the train compartment door, only stopping to turn and wave one last time. "Just relax and take in the sights.~" And with that, he pulled the door open and disappeared within. For the first time in a few hours, I was left alone with my thoughts, and the beautiful world around me.

Minus the noisy roar of the engines and rusty metal wheels screeching away against the tracks, it really was peaceful, this scene of vast green and blue. Both colors mixed and met together perfectly to create a breathtaking horizon, while houses and pokemon served as dots of extra color that made it all that much better. It felt like a mistake to not call it a perfect masterpiece of nature, and I felt very lucky to be able to sit there and breathe it all in. It made me wonder how much more was out there in the world... obviously, from books, I knew. But I wanted to see it all for myself. Explorers did things like that, and the occupation always had appealed to me. Maybe I could become just that when I grew up! At least, those were just my thoughts.

I could feel it, finally. The drastic differences from weeks before... In such a short time, I found myself on a road that I was unfamiliar with. I was ecstatic, and couldn't wait to explore. I wasn't the same little fox that was too shy for simple words- I was gonna make something of this experience.

Whatever awaited for me in both the near and distant future, I vowed to embrace it all with open arms.

This was MY change of heart.


End file.
